Grambling State University ’s Eddie Robinson became collegefootball ’s all - prison term winning coach on October 5 , 1985 , at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas . During this game , Grambling defeated Prairie View A&M 27 - 7 , and Robinson surpassedBear Bryant ’s 323 wins .
Two twelvemonth sooner , unable to make an airplane connection , Robinson ( born 1919 ) had driven 400 miles to attend Bryant ’s funeral .
call into question about the record , Robinson say , " I do n’t want to be commemorate as the cat who break Bryant ’s book any more than Bryant wanted to be remembered as the gentleman who broke ( Amos Alonzo ) Stagg ’s record .
" I would like to be remembered as a guy who made the same contributions Bryant did , who influenced people ’s lives and made an impact on the plot . "
For a coach with such a starring record – he retired in 1997 with a career record of 408 - 165 - 15 – it was undoubtedly Robinson ’s ability to exert a positive influence on his players that last long after the numbers were taken down from the scoreboard .
A brilliant teacher of football , Robinson was an even greater teacher of life-time .
" When I allow for Grambling , " Doug Williams , Washington ’s winning quarterback inSuper BowlXXII , said , " I felt like I had a academic degree in philosophy . It is awe-inspiring what that man know , in addition to all the football he teach . "
Hall of FamerWillie Davisremembered : " Whether Eddie was coming through the dormitory checking on your piece of work habits or incur athlete out to division , this thing was extremely important to him . He was always someone you could go to to hash out a personal problem and come away with the feeling you ’d been with someone who prove sensitivity and understanding . "
Robinson first came to Grambling in 1941 as head football ( andbasketball ) coach for a salary of $ 63.75 a calendar month . Over the class , he sent many players on to the NFL , let in four members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame .
Those whose football game ended with their final college game all tally they were better for having play for Robinson .
Robinson was a hands - on coach who always cared about his players ' whole college experience , not just the time pass on the football field . By the end of his 56 - class land tenure , he ’d send more than 200 players into the NFL .
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